Uganda will look to solidify their position at the top of Group K in the third round of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on Friday, when they host South Sudan, having made a strong start with four points from two games.
The visitors find themselves at the bottom of the group with no points, having lost both opening matches as part of an ongoing eight-game winless run.
Match preview
Uganda arrive into the October international break sitting pretty at the top of Group K, having amassed four points from their first two matches against South Africa and Congo last month.
A 2-2 draw away to South Africa in their opening third round qualifying match not only earned them a valuable point, it is also what currently keeps them above Bafana Bafana in the standings courtesy of the away goals tiebreaker, with both sides level on points.
That was followed by a composed 2-0 win against Congo that kept them unbeaten and positioned them to push for back-to-back victories in competitive fixtures - something they have not achieved since September 2022.
The hosts have been on a steady upward trajectory in recent years that could culminate in an AFCON place in 2025, and after missing out on the 2023 edition, they will be eager to maintain their form.
The Cranes have shown stability across all competitions, suffering just one loss in their last five matches, which came against Algeria in the World Cup qualifiers and similarly, in AFCON qualifiers, they have only one defeat in their last five games, also against Algeria in 2023.
The home side's recent performances on home turf in AFCON qualifiers have been inconsistent, with just one win and two draws in their last five games, raising concerns about their ability to hold on to their early lead.
Before this dip, however, the East Africans enjoyed a strong run of results at home, going unbeaten in five AFCON qualifiers, including four wins and a draw.
South Sudan's campaign began with a narrow defeat away to Congo, followed by a home loss against South Africa that left them with a goal difference of -2 and little margin for error if they hope to keep their qualification hopes alive.
The Bright Stars are winless in their last eight games across all competitions, with their most recent victory coming against Kenya in a friendly in September 2023, and those struggles have continued into the AFCON qualifiers, where they have secured just one win in their last 10 matches.
The young nation has never qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations and, given their current form, they are unlikely to break that trend unless they improve their performances and start getting vital points on the board.
Ranked 167th by FIFA, South Sudan are one of the lowest-ranked sides in these qualifiers and this gulf in experience and quality has often been evident in their performances against more established African teams in these tournaments.
The visitors' struggles are exacerbated by their poor record against Uganda, having never beaten them in six attempts, with five losses and one draw, leaving the Bright Stars with daunting odds as they face a consistently outperforming team.
Team News
Aziz Kayondo was instrumental in Uganda's previous match against Congo, excelling defensively by keeping a clean sheet while also scoring and earning the Man of the Match award, and will aim to replicate that performance in the upcoming fixture.
Rogers Mato Kassim will aim to maintain his impressive form, having contributed a goal and an assist in Uganda's last two games.
Valentino Yuel and Tito Okello, having scored in consecutive qualifiers for South Sudan, will need to demonstrate their attacking prowess once again to help their team secure vital points in this crucial match.
South Sudan's goalkeeper Majak Mawith has been a standout performer for his side and despite the goals conceded, he will need to be at his best if they are to have any chance of securing a result in this match.
Joseph Dhata will be unavailable for the visitors for this round of fixtures due to the injury sustained on international duty in early September.
Uganda possible starting lineup:
Watenga; Muleme, Mugabi, Awany, Kayondo; Ssekiganda, Mutyaba, Mayanja; Omedi, Mukwala, Mato
South Sudan possible starting lineup:
Mawith; Malis, Gama, Pal; Loki, Nelson, Manase, Rashid; Okello, Majak, Yuel
We say: Uganda 2-0 South Sudan
Uganda enter this match as the clear favourite, sitting atop Group K and boasting a solid recent record, including an unbeaten run in their last five matches across all competitions. They should have enough firepower to see off South Sudan easily.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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